Raising Kids Who Read

Everyone agrees that reading is fundamental to education. Reading is the mechanism by which children gather new information about the world, learn to stretch their imaginations, come to appreciate the power and beauty of language, and learn to think critically. It’s no wonder that parents and teachers want children to read and encourage leisure reading as a hobby.

Despite the power and beauty of reading, despite the positive messages from adults, most kids lose interest in reading as they grow older. The average first grader enjoys reading, but by puberty this child does not enjoy reading and rarely chooses to read in his free time. Nevertheless, a small subset of kids do continue to read, and they remain dedicated readers into adulthood. Why? Why do Malik’s parents find him sneaking books into bed, but Ella won’t read books when her parents offer to pay her?

Raising Kids Who Read helps parents and teachers make it more likely that children will be like Malik, rather than Ella. As in his previous bestseller, Why Don’t Students Like School?, Willingham offers a perspective that is rooted in scientific research, but with a practical and engaging, ready-for-application sensibility.

The first part of the book reviews the three elements that must be in place for children to become enthusiastic readers: decoding, background knowledge, and a positive attitude. Part Two considers the practical matter of supporting these three elements at a variety of age ranges (from birth and preschool through adolescence), since children’s needs change as they grow. The book also addresses how to help atypical readers, including those with dyslexia as well as kids who decode effortlessly but don’t have the background knowledge to understand what they’re reading. Lastly, Willingham discusses reading in the digital age, and how we can get more kidsb to choose reading as a leisure activity over video games, TV, and music.

This provocative book debunks myths and helps parents and teachers alike understand how to help kids learn to love reading.

How parents and educators can teach kids to love reading in the digital age

Everyone agrees that reading is important, but kids today tend to lose interest in reading before adolescence. In Raising Kids Who Read, bestselling author and psychology professor Daniel T. Willingham explains this phenomenon and provides practical solutions for engendering a love of reading that lasts into adulthood. Like Willingham's much-lauded previous work, Why Don't Students Like School?, this new book combines evidence-based analysis with engaging, insightful recommendations for the future. Intellectually rich argumentation is woven seamlessly with entertaining current cultural references, examples, and steps for taking action to encourage reading.

The three key elements for reading enthusiasm--decoding, comprehension, and motivation--are explained in depth in Raising Kids Who Read. Teachers and parents alike will appreciate the practical orientation toward supporting these three elements from birth through adolescence. Most books on the topic focus on early childhood, but Willingham understands that kids' needs change as they grow older, and the science-based approach in Raising Kids Who Read applies to kids of all ages.

• A practical perspective on teaching reading from bestselling author and K-12 education expert Daniel T. Willingham
• Research-based, concrete suggestions to aid teachers and parents in promoting reading as a hobby
• Age-specific tips for developing decoding ability, comprehension, and motivation in kids from birth through adolescence
• Information on helping kids with dyslexia and encouraging reading in the digital age

Debunking the myths about reading education, Raising Kids Who Read will empower you to share the joy of reading with kids from preschool through high school.